Международный эпизод
Part I
Severaloftheladiesseemedtobeyounggirls,andthegentlemenwereslim,fairyouths,suchasourfriendshadseenthedaybeforeinNewYork.Theladieswereworkinguponbandsoftapestry,andoneoftheyoungmenhadanopenbookinhislap.Beaumontafterwardlearnedfromoneoftheladiesthatthisyoungmanhadbeenreadingaloud,thathewasfromBostonandwasveryfondofreadingaloud.Beaumontsaiditwasagreatpitythattheyhadinterruptedhim;heshouldlikesomuch(fromallhehadheard)tohearaBostonianread.Couldn’ttheyoungmanbeinducedtogoon?“Ohno,”saidhisinformantveryfreely;“hewouldn’tbeabletogettheyoungladiestoattendtohimnow.”Therewassomethingveryfriendly,Beaumontperceived,intheattitudeofthecompany;theylookedattheyoungEnglishmenwithanairofanimatedsympathyandinterest;theysmiled,brightlyandunanimously,ateverythingeitherofthevisitorssaid.LordLambethandhiscompanionfeltthattheywerebeingmadeverywelcome.Mrs.Westgateseatedherselfbetweenthem,and,talkingagreatdealtoeach,theyhadoccasiontoobservethatshewasasprettyastheirfriendLittledalehadpromised.Shewasthirtyyearsold,withtheeyesandthesmileofagirlofseventeen,andshewasextremelylightandgraceful,elegant,exquisite.Mrs.Westgatewasextremelyspontaneous.Shewasveryfrankanddemonstrativeandappearedalways—whileshelookedatyoudelightedlywithherbeautifulyoungeyes—tobemakingsuddenconfessionsandconcessions,aftermomentaryhesitations.
